Vitti said in an email that he was expressing a sentimental thought as the superintendent. He said there are no concrete plans.

"Looking across the names of our schools ‎I see opportunities to strengthen and better represent our city's rich history while also improving our schools' branding," Vitti said. "Aretha Franklin's name would certainly accomplish this but this is my own sentimental and strategic thought that would require extensive community and school board engagement and consideration."

The Detroit Board of Education is currently going through the process of revising its policy on naming schools. The revised policy would require that a school — or a district facility such as a gymnasium, athletic field or swimming pool — can only be named after a person if that person was deceased.